There are various types of Falafel – for me the best are those full of flavour, herby and crunchy yet fluffy.

I make my falafel with chickpeas but some traditional recipes call for broad beans as well (to be honest, I haven’t tried making it with broad beans – perhaps next time). If you wish to use broad beans just replace half of the chickpeas with the same amount of broad beans (use split and dried, soaking them overnight).

It’s best if you let the mixture rest before frying the little patties, making this ideal to prepare in advance.

Note

Cooking time doesn't include the chickpeas' soaking time but it includes the minimum resting time.

Directions

Step 1

Soak the chickpeas in a bowl of plenty of cold water overnight. Drain and tip on to a clean tea towel to dry.

Step 2

Put half the chickpeas into a food processor and mix until smooth. Add the spices, salt, baking powder, spring onions and garlic and mix again, until well combined. Finally, add the remaining chickpeas and fresh herbs and pulse until chopped and well combined, but not pureed – we want to achieve a rough texture meaning there should still be bits of chickpeas.

Step 3

Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Step 4

Roll the mixture into small patties.

Step 5

Heat 5cm oil in a deep pan to 180C/350F, then fry the falafel in batches and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with vegan yogurt or tahini sauce, chilli sauce, toasted flatbreads and salad.